BISBOP FOSTER ON TEMPEARNCE.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 62, 23 May 1877, Page 3

BISBOP FOSTER ON TEMPEARNCE.

■■■ ■■ '■■■ O . '- (From the "New Zealand Wesleyan.'") ■ The following -is the summary of an address delivered by Bishop Foster, one of the Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church of America, at the Centennial Temperance meeting :; — / , " This great .temperance movement has for its object the cure of one of .the greatest . evils : upon , earth. No other of -such gigantic proportions has ever assailedit. I "consider that it has been more deadly than wars and pestilences, and has had greater influence upon the peaee-and welfare of men. Like all great evils : (.it; is ■ extremely difiicult to cure. ..Heretofore it has seemed to. bafile all effort's ;macleto suppress it, and has taken such root that many times its enemies have" become discouraged m the good work. . The tentative efforts which have been' made to prevent the formation of ihis habit have given rise to many sermons- and tracts against tippling. In these books extreme declarations have been made, and ground taken which it would be difficult .to maintaitf; but/ this has arisen from a : despair of ever being able to cure the drunkard's "or ! stbp^7the; .sale vof liquor. ' They hoped by dealing with this evil m . its m cipfehcy ■ tb ! 6hect it at the fountainhead. . ,Thp only 'way -I. see is to take the-grqund for total abstinence, and every honest man should stand on that, ground; A great mistake is .made m,; the treatment 'of. .drunkards.- Pity for their condition m having lost control of themselves^ aiid indignation at the ,rumseller lead us tp lose sight of their * crime. J We" fail L iii bur duty when we do inbt denounce it. as a heinous crime as well ; a's"a : sin, ; and-' one which should be put -in the penal code. The Bible rank's' vdrankards "■) with '■■.-•"• thifeyes and ' criminals ; and society which protects itself- against - thieves and vagrants, should defend itself against a drunkard, who. is an incipient vagrant and ; murderer. You cannot prevent men from 5 taking a mild intoxicating beverage by S moral suasion. Any young man found drunk should be imprisoned; and. his term increased for each offence.^ The publican who sells intoxicating ' JbeverageS: ,is a greater criminal, and with less excuse. He goes into the business with a perfect knowledge of the fact that he is going to earn his livingbythe ruin of his- fellbw-men. He is morally responsible for the crimes that r:men commit who are made criminals, by; and he ought to be^ penally res?ponsible. Every day that he carries: on the business is fraught with great reyily since it has nothing 5 m. '.it but the essence of crinie. ... • ;